Volume 8: Ties that Bind
by Nafa-tali
Summary: Months after Cyrus' departure a man claiming to be his younger brother steps onto the Team Galactic scene. He presents them an offer they can't refuse along with the promise that he would never abandon them. But this man's promise comes at a price… because you see he isn't all that he claims to be... What connection does he have with four teenagers and a Pikachu lost in time?
1. Sometime in the future…

**Back by popular demand!**

Yes... this is volume 8 to the Inheritance series. I know I said it was the end but then... well the story was still unfinished. So after a (rather long) hiatus I have returned with a new story and new characters (as well as old familiars). This story carries on from the last volume so if you're a newcomer to the series I apologise but this is going to get rather confusing... but fear not it will all be explained (somewhere down the track).

Regardless, sit back and enjoy the new volume!

* * *

**Volume 8: Ties That Bind**

**Sometime in the future…**

The broken landscape stretched out into an endless night. A lonely moon hung by its last thread, a silent witness to the horrors that had unravelled that eventful day. Ideals ripped in two, dreams shattered and people's lives – the few remaining – thrown into utter disarray. The day the world ended...

Two teenagers silently hurried on through a deformed forest, hearts racing, limbs burning and lungs screaming for air. But still they pushed themselves onward. They wouldn't stop… couldn't. They had to keep moving, knowing that stopping meant the end. There would not be another chance. Not after what they had already done.

"Silver! They're getting closer!" daring to glimpse over one shoulder the girl of sixteen shrieked.

Her companion however said nothing. His head down and his breathing laboured he focused on the task at hand. Time was already not on their side, so the last thing they needed was holdups.

That was what he kept telling himself. Truth be told, he couldn't hear them. Where the forces of life should have filled his psy-senses he felt nothing. Just a black hole of nothingness. And it scared him.

"Rei, stop looking behind! Keep running!" his haggard order alerted his girl companion back to the task at hand.

But she was just too distracted. Too afraid. Her foot caught a tree root and before she knew it she was toppling forward in a slow motion dance to catch her balance. Gravity won and she hit the ground with a rolling thud.

"Rei!" Silver immediately skidded to a halt, barely avoiding the same fate as he tripped over her long legs.

The girl was beyond exhausted. She simply lay there on the ground, heaving and harking for air.

"Rei!" still the boy urged. "Get up! We need to move!"

It was the gleaming, red eyes that caught Silver's attention first. Dozens of them watching them through the darkness they'd just come from. Then glinting under the moonlight, white teeth and bone that protected their bodies and made them look like the very hounds of hell. Houndoom. An entire pack of them captured and trained to the peak of their ability in the service of the king.

The hairs on the back of Silver's neck stood on end. They were like ghosts… no… even ghosts had a presence. These creatures where just empty. Black holes that defied all laws of the psychic mind. Silver forced down a swallow despite his throat being bone dry. There was no way he could defeat them, not even Rei would stand a chance.

The girl had pulled herself to her knees, her face now drained of all colour. Her lips formed words of terror though she said nothing. This was it… it was over. The end of the road before it had even begun.

They'd tried but failed.

The leader of the pack stepped forward. Standing at least a foot taller than his companions, the Houndoom greeted the teenagers with a snarl. If they so much as twitched he would be on them. A single Faint Attack and a Flamethrower all it would take to bring them down.

No one was prepared for the giant Thunderbolt. Ripping up the forest and striking the pack head on, the air was suddenly filled with the snap of electricity and shrieking yelps. So bright the spectacle, the youths could do nothing but cower behind the safety of a tree, until finally the attack ceased and there was silence. The stench of cooked fur made the teens want to puke but still they dared peer out from behind their hiding place. Not a single dog had been left standing. In fact in their place now stood a Pikachu, watching them with great intent. With a torn ear and several shrapnel scars across its face there left no doubt as to what the Pokémon had gone through... and survived.

"Are you two ok?" a voice sounded and the teens spun to face a man in his thirties watching them with eyes of urgency. His ash black hair and stubble to match did little to hide his scars. The same sort of scars his Pikachu possessed. They were lucky to be alive.

"Fine," replied Silver with a curt nod.

"This way," allowing the Pikachu onto his shoulder the man signalled them forward. "We're almost there."

Despite their screaming legs and burning lungs they continued to run, whether it was for hours or minutes Silver wasn't sure. He'd long lost all track of time. Eventually however the man indicated for them to slow down where the forest stopped short of a cliff.

Silver's eyes caught the horizon; the moon was setting, casting shadows of a pointy and jagged graveyard – the broken ruins of what was once Castelia City.

"How much longer do we have?" the man's voice broke Silver from his gaze and it was then that he registered the presence of two more figures- another man and a teenage girl with brilliant, red hair.

"A few minutes," the other man didn't take his eyes off a strange looking device in his hands. Blue numbers counted backwards on its display as he hovered over the edge of the cliff. His girl companion watched him carefully from her position further in from the ledge. She stood close to a Charizard under the light of its flaming tail that brought out the red in her hair. Legendaries, she looked so familiar. Silver found he couldn't take his eyes off her. There was something about her... a connection... he could feel it.

"Who are you?" his brow furrowed. "How do I know you?"

The girl gave him a gentle smile that sent shivers up his spine. "My name is Scarlett. You won't remember me but I've been looking for you since I was young."

"Silver, I think someone is coming," Rei's tug at his arm broke him from his gaze and all heads snapped around to spot the four Human shadows emerge from the forest.

Three were dressed as ninjas and then the fourth - their leader - stood with the serene stare of a sage. The spitting image of his father, it would come as no surprise that there had been no mother involved in his creation.

"N!" The man with the Pikachu immediately spat, his voice full of poison. The Pikachu on his shoulder started to spark, ready for his command, but instead he chose to direct his words to Team Plasma's leader. "Let them go, N."

The man with teal green hair simply shook his head. His arms and hands were covered in bandages, though they'd been sloppily wound so that one could see the patches of skin where he'd been burned horribly.

"It is not my place to grant them that favour, Ash. You know that. These kids belong to the New Order."

"They belong to no one!" This time it was Scarlett who joined in. "They're not slaves!"

But N had to sneer at this, "Can you honestly say the same about your Pokémon?"

"Haven't you done enough already?" the man named Ash spread his arms wide. "You've destroyed… everything."

Ash's words seemed to make an impact on the leader as his eyes suddenly became downcast. But soon after a determined glare swept over his face. "For us to move forward… to change… sacrifice is… necessary. One day you will understand."

A single flick of his hand was all it took for his triad friends to step forward. Silver immediately straightened. Oh he knew what to expect from them. They were his teachers after all, and they were masters in the art of fighting.

Ash's Pikachu didn't hesitate. Leaping from his shoulder it landed evenly between the two groups, hackles raised and teeth bared into a dangerous snarl. Scarlett's Charizard followed suit, instinctively pushing the Humans behind it.

The triad stepped up to meet them, not a single Pokémon on hand. No, they didn't need Pokémon, not when they had other methods up their sleeves.

"Silver," Rei cast him a glance and he nodded in reply. He knew as well as she that this was their battle. They took their places on either side of the Pokémon.

N let out a leer. "You cannot defeat me, you know that, Silver."

But the teenager could only scoff. "You not only have us to get through but you're also up against a Champion's Pikachu. I'll let you do the math."

Team Plasma's King knew he had a point. He rocked back on his heels, his uncertainty once again taking over as was always his weakness. "You've betrayed the Kingdom, Silver. You're a traitor to the order and traitors must be dealt with."

"Your so called 'order' ceased when you destroyed half of Unova, your _Majestry_," Silver spoke his master's title with a sneer. And suddenly he was no longer that shy little boy who had come to their kingdom those years ago.

"I see," N's serene head fell, as if to be hurt by Silver's words. "You are everything your parents had hoped you'd become."

"And what do you know about my parents?" Silver snarled but was cut off by a countdown coming from behind.

"Five, four, three," ignoring the standoff, the man with the device counted. "...two, one..."

BEEP BEEP BEEP! Its high pitch wail sounded across the clearing before at once it shot out a brilliant ray of blue light out over the cliff. All figures spun and stepped back at the spectacle before them. It expanded, twisting and spiralling, forming a whirlpool of light and super charged electricity.

"Unbelievable!"

Silver vaguely registered the King's reaction. What was this?!

"We only have a twenty second window! We need to move!" The man with the device signalled the kids forward.

"No! After them!" N made his attempt at stopping them but the Pokémon blocked his path.

Silver soon found himself on the edge of that cliff, gazing down into a twisting whirlpool and through it a window... into another place... another time.

"Just close your eyes and jump!" Ash ordered from behind them.

"I'm afraid!" Rei's terrified eyes met Silver and he grabbed her hand.

"Come on Blue. We can't look back now. One, two...Jump!" He didn't hesitate. It was as though his legs were loaded with springs and he plunged off that cliff, taking his companion with him.

The whirlpool of light and energy swallowed them up and they vanished.

"Come on! It's already starting to close!"

Back on the cliff the battle was already beginning to get out of hand. N's Triad fought relentlessly against Charizard and Pikachu. Moving quickly to avoid the onslaught of Pokémon attacks they had little chance to throw out an attack of their own.

"Pikachu, Charizard, pull back!" Ash barked, grabbing Scarlett's arm and making a bolt for the same whirlpool.

It all happened so quickly that Scarlett hardly had the chance to react. One minute they were running and then the next a bang so loud that it shattered the scene. Then beside her Ash began to trip and stumble. His hand let her go and he hit the ground at her feet causing her to stagger backwards.

"Uncle Ash!"

Her cry was suddenly drowned out by his light moan and the crimson liquid that seeped from his chest. For a moment she didn't register it. It was only when the large man stepped into the clearing, in his hand a smoking gun that it sunk in.

"Oh my Arceus! Ash!" Scarlett's heart raced to a screaming halt. "Ash!" She attempted to pull him up but his body was so heavy it refused to move.

He was yelling at her, telling her "Go! Go! Go!" But she didn't hear him.

The man with the gun was standing over them. His glare seething with fury. He was as big as a Machamp. "You stupid, brat! You've changed everything!"

But despite it all Ash still had the audacity to look up at him and give him a grin. "Now the stakes are even... _Dad_."

He took one final stuttering breath before his head sank into the ground. Ash Ketchum was no more.

The man turned his back to them, ignoring the screaming wails of the teenager; he simply threw his gun into the bushes and offered Team Plasma's head a scathing leer, "You're as useless as your good-for-nothing father. Take them back to the helicopter." And he walked away.

"No! No no no nonononono!" Scarlett couldn't move. Her world was frozen. She was oblivious to the three ninja shadows that stepped up to her. She was even oblivious to the urgings of her other companion –the man with the device- to get to her feet.

Suddenly her own Charizard was upon her, lifting her up and carrying her clear over the cliff where she saw the whirlpool had closed up and dissolved.

And it was then that she realised that all was lost. They were still in a future that couldn't be repaired.

* * *

Scarlett snapped awake to the sounds of the ocean and sunlight streaming down over her face. Groggy, she hesitantly pulled herself upright only to find that she'd been placed in a bed. Where was she? Had Team Plasma managed to catch her? But as her eyes made their way across the room she soon came to realise this was no Team Plasma establishment.

Painfully pulling herself from the sheets she passed across creaky old floorboards to French doors that opened out to a sunrise over the ocean. There was a figure down at the water's edge. Standing barefoot in the sand he watched the sunrise, not moving from that spot until the purples and reds of the sky became a familiar blue. Just enough time for Scarlett's mind to catch up with the events from the night before. There was old blood on her hands. Her body instinctively buckled and without even the time to find a bucket she threw up on the floor, not stopping until she'd completely purged her already empty stomach. Tears streaked her cheeks though she simply felt too tired to cry. Her mind unable to stop the constant reel of the night before; the whirlpool, Silver, the man with the gun and finally Ash. Her world had been shattered beyond repair. Everything she had lived for these past seventeen years ripped from her grasp so that there was nothing.

"Are you alright?"

Scarlett glanced up into the concerned face of her rescuer, the man with the device from the night before. He quickly vanished into another room before returning with a wet rag and a bag of ice. Scarlett followed his order for her to sit back down on the bed where he wrapped the ice up in the rag and placed it on her forehead. He looked pale, as though the sight of her vomit on the floor made him want to do the same.

"Try not to move too fast," he said. "You've gone through a lot."

The resident Minccino was already on the scene, working hard to clean up the foul mess Scarlett had left behind.

"Where am I?" taking her eyes off the scene Scarlett questioned.

"You're at my family's villa outside of Undella Town," The man replied.

Upon closer inspection Scarlett could see his dusty blonde hair was flecked with shades of silver-blue giving it a salt and pepper look. It had been formed into what reminded Scarlett of the rough shape of a Skuntank's tail. He had several days of regrowth on his face that otherwise revealed a somewhat bony structure and high cheek bones. But it was his steely, focused gaze that caught the most attention. Brilliant green eyes watched her, though there was a depth to them that indicated his mind wasn't always based in the present moment. He sort of reminded Scarlett of her dad in the years after her mother left. Had this man had someone close to him leave too? Is this what happened to them? They became empty shells of themselves?

For the first time, she realised she knew the feeling. Her stomach sank and she felt as though she was going to be sick all over again. The man must have noticed this because he suddenly grabbed her attention.

"We can change it... we can change everything."

Scarlett resisted the urge to bark out a laugh. "How? The portal is closed. There won't be another window for years." She may have only just met this guy through her uncle the night before, but she thought he'd be smarter than this. "How can you possibly expect we last that long? And what about Silver? He's lost… somewhere back there."

Without so much as a word the man turned and left the room. Shocked by his sudden departure, Scarlett dropped the ice from her face and followed him into a massive old house that looked as though it had seen better days. She followed him down a stair case and into a huge lounge area with a fireplace and an upright piano which he now tinkered around with.

Scarlett took a moment to take in the room with high ceilings and an ancient chandelier. It was obvious this guy had belonged to a wealthy family once. Probably before the war. A partially opened door drew Scarlett's attention to a library so big it could have fit her dad's entire cabin in it with room to spare.

Was this guy a librarian? A researcher?

Scarlett's eye caught the little yellow blob sleeping on the couch and she immediately gasped. "Pikachu!"

Bounding across the room she stopped short of throwing herself on the sleepy Pokémon who yawned quietly and shed a tear. Scarlett took up the seat beside him and gently pulled him into a hug. He was stone cold and just sort of flopped in her arms. She couldn't blame him. He'd just lost his most cherished companion. "Don't worry Pikachu, we're going to find a way to fix this... somehow." She sounded just like the teenage version of the Pokémon's old trainer and friend.

"Here."

Scarlett turned back to the man who now stood in front of her, holding out a funny looking key attached to a chain. She had to blink for a moment.

"What is it for?"

"Just take it," he offered. "I need you to do something for me. I need you to go back and find me. Give this to me. I'll know what to do with it."

"I don't understand, how do you expect me to 'go back?"

"With this," he'd anticipated her reaction and unclipped a pokéball from his belt. It was gold and silver with the initials 'GS' above the button. The button he pushed with his thumb until it glowed red – as though to recognise who he was. Then all at once in a flash of white a small, green Pokémon emerged from it.

Scarlett immediately had to step back, her eyes simply unable to take it in. "Is that... no way!... Celebi! How is that even possible?!"

Ignoring her surprise the man simply spoke to the Pokémon, as though he had been training it for years. A legendary...

"Celebi, take her back with you."

"Celebi!" the small Pokémon responded with a happy chirp. Its eyes closed for a moment as if to be in deep concentration before it conjured what looked to be a waterfall in the middle of the room. The static cleared leaving a flat, vertical puddle that hung in mid air.

Scarlett was amazed. Was this for real?! She had to glance back at the man, just to make sure that what she was seeing was what he saw too. He nodded. "Celebi can only take one human with it. You're more important in the big picture than I am."

"Wait, I don't even know what I'm doing," Scarlett went to argue but he cut her off.

"Take Pikachu. Meet up with me and give me that key. I'll know what to do…" he repeated.

Scarlett was mortified, "But I don't even know your name."

And he replied with a weary smile, "It's Wilbur." He directed her to Celebi's portal. "Now go change history."


	2. Present Day

**Present Day- Three weeks after Team Rocket's battle against Team Plasma in the Desert Resort…**

**Kair Yu**

"I've got to give you credit," I wiped a sweaty brow with the back of my hand. Legendaries, was it me or was it getting hot in here? "You're good, kid."

A cracked pipe to my left was spewing steam into the tiny storage space. I couldn't recall if it had been me or the Team Galactic Grunt that had damaged it. Condensation dripped on us from the ceiling, much to the disgust of my Charizard who did his best to avoid getting wet. For some reason the fire type hated water.

"I'm better than good..." noting my Charizard's distraction, the kid grinned at me from beneath his ridiculous hair cut... or was it a wig? "Bronzor, Hypnosis."

"Charizard! Get your ass in the game! Use-" I didn't get to finish my order. Taking the giant metal plate's attack head on, he hit the ground, sound asleep.

"Oh no you didn't!" I had to growl. "You just thwarted my getaway!"

The Galactic kid didn't even bat an eye. He looked to be around eighteen or nineteen but had the serious, steely gaze of someone who had seen too much in his lifetime already. "You should have been more prepared. You are without a doubt the worst Pokémon trainer I've ever seen… Team Rocket."

"Hah," I replied with a chortle. The kid was good... but not _that_ good. "Rule number one, never underestimate..." He didn't even see the flying jump kick. My boots made contact with his face and he hit the ground before I'd even landed. "...your opponent."

Loyal to its master the Bronzor came at me with a Confusion attack but a series of backflips was all it took for me to evade it. Another jump kick sent it flying into a pile of crates, leaving me the window I needed to withdraw my sleeping Charizard back into its Pokéball and hit the ground running.

The alarm had already gone off however, and as I made my way through the endless maze that was the Team Galactic base, I soon found myself completely surrounded by more spacemen with unfortunate haircuts. I skidded to a halt, cursing under my breath. I was a fighter, but there was no way I'd be able to get through a whole hoard of them and their Pokémon.

I had no other option.

"Alright," I said slowly, raising my hands. "You got me."

* * *

_Somewhere in Unova..._

_A woman's wail broke the silence of an otherwise peaceful morning. A castle hidden deep within the forests came to life with the scurry of feet and cries of urgency. The time had come. _

"_Anthea, just breathe. That's right, now push."_

_The young, pink haired woman found herself surrounded by medics and sages but all she could concentrate on was the task at hand. Another contraption ripped through her body and she let out a loud moan. Panting, pushing until finally the tiny infant came free._

_Wails were replaced with cheers of doctors and sages and the shriek of a tiny child that was quickly bundled up in towels. Her job done and her duty fulfilled, the Maiden Princess Anthea flopped back into the bed. Drugs kicked in and the pain soon subsided into a dull throb. Her mind began to drift before finally she gave into her exhaustion._

_The child was a girl - that was a fact already known. What was also known was that she was destined to grow up to become a woman of great power. With striking blue eyes and brown hair that would slowly change colour has her power grew - she was destined to change the tides. 'Oh yes', Ghetsis grinned as he held up the child in his arms. Unlike his previous experiment, this would be a legacy worthy of holding his title. __Ky'rei Mu – she would hold the very name of the Dragon she was set to possess. _

"_Welcome to the world young Rei. Welcome back... sister."_

* * *

The cell wasn't the most uncomfortable I'd been in. This one had a decent bed at least, though I had no intention of using it. Cold, stone walls surrounded me, and my only link to the outside world was a small grate in the door that also served as an air vent.

I waited an hour perhaps two before the door came open and three figures stepped into the cell - two of the biggest spacemen goons I'd seen yet, and a red-headed woman dressed as an astronaut-ballerina. Mars of Team Galactic.

"I know who you are," She cut right to the case. "The infamous Kair Yu aka Aisha Valderez. Daughter of Giovanni of Team Rocket…. What I really want to know is what are you doing here?"

I simply smirked and leaned back on my bunk, sticking my hands behind my head. "I hear you have a new boss. What's he like to work for? What are the chances that Cyrus would have a _mystery_ brother turn up just in time to rescue Team Galactic only one day before you found yourselves bought out by Team Rocket?"

Mars didn't drop her front, "What can I say? The universe works in funny ways."

"Ah before I forget," I seemed to have an epiphany. "That agent who beat my Charizard, you really need to give that guy a promotion. That Charizard received training from the Champion of the Joto elite four. He's not an easy opponent."

"I'll be sure to let the boss know," the woman, unimpressed by my ramble, rubbed her eyebrow. "You didn't answer my question."

I ignored her. "So, when will I have the privilege of meeting your new boss?"

"Hah!" Her hands shot to her hips and she gave me a defiant leer. "You have to be kidding me! No one sees Darius except the commanders. _No one_."

Those words barely left her lips when the cell door came open and there stood a man so tall he seemed to tower over everyone else. He was remarkably identical to his 'so-called' brother lest certain features such has a thinner frame and a younger face. Then there were his intense, violet eyes that looked as though they could see into your very soul.

I gave him a brief once over, not bad really... for someone who, before last week, was completely unknown to the general population.

"That is enough, she is coming with me," he spoke with a voice so devoid of emotion that he almost sounded like a robot. Oh yes, he was a relative of Cyrus, couldn't deny that.

Mars found herself flabbergasted as she was ordered to step aside and let me pass. I guess even emotionless robots sometimes deviated from protocol. That wasn't such a bad thing, especially considering that he was one of the main reasons why I was here.

"Did you really have to be so tall?" I quirked an eyebrow at Team Galactic's new leader.

Much to my disappointment he chose not to respond, merely directing me onward down the endless corridors that made up his establishment.

* * *

**Team Galactic Grunt**

The ocean breeze brought with it memories of a lifetime ago. A simpler time... before the world changed. The welting bruise under my eye hurt to touch and the brief sweep of my tongue across my lip brought back the copper taste of old blood. All of this compliments of Team Rocket's daughter.

This didn't escape the notice of my colleagues either as they felt the need to bring out the fact that I had been defeated by an apparent 'mere girl'. I heaved a sigh, ignoring the sting of sea salt on my fresh wounds. I wasn't much of a fighter myself, which was probably why I ended up at the wrong end of the woman's jump kick.

Not that it mattered. She was captured and once again Team Galactic was saved from the clutches of a Team Rocket takeover that I honestly expected would have happened sooner. Ever since Cyrus left, Team Galactic had found itself teetering on the edge, so to speak. With no _real_ leader, no direction, we were fair game for the hungry ambitions of Team Rocket's Giovanni.

That was before a relative of Cyrus appeared on the scene - a man not much older than Giovanni's daughter herself. A man as mysterious as the background he'd apparently come from.

A wave caught my boot and snapped me from my thoughts. Digging at the sand around my feet, it washed away the foundation beneath me and left me sinking in the wet. While not the oceans I was accustomed to, the dirty old bay did it's best to imitate her big sister. She was not as fierce and the sand she toyed with was not as pristine or white as where I'd come from.

The sun was already setting behind the mountains in the west, causing pointy and jagged shadows to stretch out over the bay below and pitching Veilstone City into a premature darkness.

My eyes fell across the distant shapes of mountains – silent witnesses of Humankind's impact on these lands. Unmoving and yet as merciless as the sea. They held so many secrets.

I fingered a pokéball on my belt, reminded of the fact that it was Friday and I wasn't expected back at HQ until the next week. Without a second thought, I released my Skarmory from her sleepy hideaway. The steel- type bird greeted me with a yawn and a squawk before quirking her head at the messy state of my face.

"I know, I've neglected you," I admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt. "But I'm going to make it up to you. How about a trip to the mountains... like old times?"

The Skarmory offered no objections, merely bending down to allow me onto her back. She spread her metallic wings that glinted in the dimming daylight before we took off, chasing the sunset into the mountains.

* * *

**Scarlett**

"YAHHHHH! OMPH!"

The portal opened and we landed on the ground in a crumpled heap. Me and Pikachu that was. Lucky the little Pokémon was only light, so he basically bounced off my back and tumble-rolled in the dirt.

I heaved a moan and pulled myself to my knees, blinking under the light of a moon-lit sky. Huge rocks and boulders surrounded me and I shivered at the cool of the evening. Was that a clump of snow? Where was I? The air was thin here, making breathing more of a chore than usual. Though I was used to it. I'd grown up in the mountains after all.

"A mountain!" I suddenly realised. That's where I was... stuck on a mountain... somewhere. I found a ledge that seemed to just drop off into a black unknown. It was all rocks, no forest anywhere. The air tasted like a mix of metal and dust - nothing like the mountains I was accustomed to... so I was nowhere near Kanto.

Was I still in Unova? For some reason this didn't feel like Unova. For a start their mountains had trees... lots and lots of trees. My brow furrowed but little chance did I have to contemplate further as suddenly Celebi buzzed into my field of vision.

"Celebi!" I jumped upright.

The Pokémon pretended to be oblivious to our presence as it flew right past us and over a boulder.

"Hey! Wait up!" Immediately Pikachu and I took chase, doing our best to keep up with the stupid thing while attempting to clamber over and scoot around massive rocks and boulders that blocked our path – the fact that the only light we had to guide us was the moon didn't make the task any easier. "Don't leave us here!"

Scraping my arm on a sharp rock, I bit my tongue and avoided cursing. The little thing just stopped and giggled at us while still hanging in mid-air. Then without so much as a word, it Teleported from the scene and vanished.

"Celebi, no!" I hollered but it was too late. The little critter that had brought us here was gone, and I had no idea where here even was... let alone when...

"Oh Legendaries, what have I done?" I suddenly felt sick to the core, and very alone.

Pikachu nudged at my leg in attempt to offer me some sort of comfort that I was sure he'd done to his old Trainer times before.

The thought of Ash brought on a fresh wave of sick, but now along with it the thought that this time things would be different, I would make sure of it. Ash's killer - the man in the suit, would be out of the picture this time.

In the meantime however, I had to figure out why I'd been brought to this place. I offered the late Champion's Pikachu a thoughtful frown. He'd faced situations far more bizarre than this. He'd travelled the world, even met countless Legendaries.

"Pikachu, what would Ash do in this situation?"

The Pikachu quivered an ear, as if to take a moment to think before suddenly his nose started to twitch.

"Pika," it sounded in a hushed whisper, signalling around the boulder we hid behind.

Voices and flashlights were heading in our direction. People! What stopped me from jumping out and greeting them however, was the distinctly black uniforms they wore with red Rs on their chests.

"Team Rocket," I whispered, pulling back around the boulder so that they wouldn't see me. Maybe I was wrong, maybe we were in Kanto after all.

They seemed to be looking for something. They stopped only a few feet away from us and gathered in front of a loose pile of rock. One of them – a scientist – was holding a GPS that beeped urgently at him.

"It's right here. Get moving. We need to be out of here before the rangers come by at dawn." He ordered his people accompanied by Machoke to remove the great pile of rubble.

I barely heard Pikachu's silent warning. A hand touched my shoulder and I immediately spun, going to scream but another hand grabbed my mouth and hushed me. The shadow of a spaceman stood over me and again I had to resist the urge to scream and run away.

"Shh," he placed a finger on his lip. "I'm not going to hurt you."

I swallowed, "P..p..promise?"

"Don't you think if I was, I would have done so already?"

He did have a point.

"Alright... you can let me go now." For the first time in our encounter he moved into the moonlight and I spotted his face beneath the green wig of none other than a Team Galactic agent. He looked way younger but I recognised him immediately. "Wilbur?"

The Galactic agent pulled back several steps. "How do you know that name?"

His move allowed me to see him more fully and I realised he couldn't have been any older than nineteen. His stern, dishevelled features had been replaced with a youthful face and curious, green eyes – one of which was bruised pretty badly. He was lanky, like he hadn't quite grown into his limbs just yet, but he was still kinda cute and I couldn't help the blush that spread to my cheeks... until reality set in and I registered his affiliation. He was a member of Team Galactic!

I recoiled. What was I doing looking for a member of a criminal band?!

"You... you're part of Team Galactic?"

"Again, who are you and how do you know my name?" he questioned more sternly this time. The curiosity in his eyes was gone, only to be replaced with a glance so icy it could have knocked one of Dad's dragons clean out of the sky. "And what's going on for that matter?" he signalled to the Rocket gang that still worked just outside of our hiding spot.

"You told me your name," I offered in a hushed whisper. "You sent me to… well find you. And they… they're Team Rocket. I don't know what they're doing but…" I nervously glimpsed his Team Galactic uniform. "It can't be good."

The boulders Team Rocket worked on gave way to the black entrance of a cave. It looked as though there had been a locked door there once but it had been opened somewhere in the stream of time and left that way, only to be covered over with the avalanche of rocks.

The Rockets wiped away sweaty brows and caught their breath, before pulling out their torches and entering the chamber single file.

"What are they doing here?" I felt Wilbur's breath on the back of my neck as he leaned over my shoulder and watched.

I didn't need to suggest that we follow them, because the moment the last Rocket stepped into that cave Wilbur was on his feet, bounding from our hiding spot after them.

"Hey!" I hissed, going to grab for his arm but he was too quick. "We can't go in there. Team Rocket are dangerous. They can't be up to anything good."

"All the more reason to find it out," the Galactic agent retorted before disappearing into that hole in the wall.

"Oh man," I felt my stomach sink. Following strangers down scary black holes wasn't exactly my idea of fun. But what choice did I have? Whether he knew it or not, this guy was going to help me find Silver. "Come on Pikachu, I guess we're going too."

* * *

**Wilbur**

Five months. That was how long it had been since I was here last. Back when, even despite knowing full well what was to happen, I still found myself caught up in the hype. Team Galactic – so full of hopes and ideas of a fantastic new world. A new universe. It was all set to take place with Cyrus as our leader. Years of work about to come to fruition.

The stairs leading down into the ancient chamber glowed as bright as they had the last time I was here – leading us down into what our leader had called the Spear Pillar.

Team Rocket had already reached the main platform where Cyrus had summoned the great Legendaries Dialga and Palkia and used them to form his New World. But instead of bringing with them red chains and Lake Guardians, they possessed nothing more than machines and vials of coloured liquid... and a single orb that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. No bigger than a watermelon, the head scientist carried it in his hands. It looked to be made of glass but inside it glowed with a shifting spacescape of stars and galaxies.

"Sir!" The eerie calm of the chamber was interrupted by a Rocket agent typing madly on the display of what looked to be a scanning device. "Not only are the energy signatures still here, they're off the charts!"

"Excellent," the head scientist who still carried the orb grinned. "Proceed with operations as planned."

A large crane device was placed in the centre of the triangle – the very spot where Cyrus's universe had been created. Two metal arms reached up from the ground toward each other, forming what looked to be a giant, metallic archway. The tips of the 'arms' ended in metallic 'hands' that held either side of a large glowing rock.

A Meteonite stone! How in the world did Team Rocket get their hands on that? Especially since they were only found in one place – Unova. Oh yes I knew all too well the attributes of a Meteonite stone. A mysterious meteorite possessing the ability to supercharge anything it touched.

"What's going on? What did I miss?" I almost jumped at the figures that appeared beside me - the girl and her Pikachu. Still a good half way up the stairs, we crouched just out of view of Team Rocket.

I held a finger on my lip to shush her and we watched as Team Rocket's scientist place the orb on a small stand in the centre of this mechanical archway. He stepped back and sounded the order. A cannon shot the Meteonite with something that resembled a purple Hyperbeam, and all at once the stone came to life. The chamber was instantly lit up with sparks of supercharged electricity, hissing and snapping at anything within reach of the stone. A thunderbolt hit the orb below and suddenly, as if run by its own form of intelligence, the Meteonite unleashed all of its power on it. The orb was engulfed in white, so bright that everyone in the chamber was forced to cover their eyes. Great cracks began to form in the glass-like sphere and for a moment it rocked back and forth in the grips of the stand that held it.

Then SMASH! The orb exploded. Shards of glass sprayed all over the chamber only to vanish into small streams of light. The universe contained within the orb began to expand, filling the entire archway but never forming beyond its borders. Like an old, static television set we found ourselves peering into a gateway... looking out over a universe still in its birthing stages.

"Incredible," my eyes were fixated. I was simply speechless. This place... it was Cyrus's universe. They'd just reopened the gateway.

The Rockets seemed to be searching for something... or rather someone. Dressed in space suits, a man and a woman jumped through the portal only to be reeled back in several moments later bringing with them one more person.

My heart came to a screaming halt as they dragged him back through the gateway. He was barely conscious and slumped on the ground at their feet. But there was no denying it... those features... Cyrus.

"Hey you! Kids!" I barely even heard the shout, or saw the Rocket Grunt pointing in our general direction.

The teenager beside me leapt to her feet in a panic. She grabbed at my arm in attempt to pull me to my senses. "I think that means run!" she called urgently.

Rockets were already on their way up the stairs after us. I staggered upright, my head still spinning, and together we turned and bolted from the scene.

* * *

"I think... we lost them..." The girl wheezed, letting her body flop into the boulder we hid behind. She coughed in attempt to force air back into her lungs and wiped sweat from her brow, offering me a pre-dawn smile.

The sky was already changing colour, bringing with it the first glimpses of sunlight. We had run until we could no longer hear the voices of Team Rocket and our legs gave way. I was sure they would not bother to find us now. Not when they had what they came for... well I could only assume.

Cyrus... I couldn't get the thought out of my head... the images of him being dragged from that gateway into the clutches of the enemy. What were they going to do with him? What purpose would Cyrus serve to feed the ambitions of Team Rocket? And how did they manage to figure out how to re-open the gateway in the first place?! They had to have gotten their hands on top secret Team Galactic information for them to have even known the location of the Spear Pillar in the first place. A pit formed in my stomach. None of this was supposed to happen... the timeline was broken and things were reeling beyond my foresight. Had I done something to change it so drastically? I had been so careful!

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

For the second time the girl snapped me from my daze. She was rummaging about her bag that more or less resembled a garbage dump concealed in cloth. "You told me to give you something."

But my mind was already too far ahead. She already knew who I was... that wasn't supposed to happen either. Meanwhile, I needed to get to Cyrus. I needed to follow Team Rocket before they disappeared altogether.

She didn't even notice me call on Bronzor. "Bronzor, use Hypnosis."

The girl with her Pikachu took the full brunt of the attack and reeled. They were out before they even hit the ground...


	3. Mysteries and Champions

**Mysteries and Champions**

**Lance**

"All three shrines were vandalised. That was why they attacked the island. Those shrines kept them in check, now though... they're roaming free." The look in the boys' eyes was one of terror. For what he had witnessed, he seemed to be keeping it together well... barely.

"Lewis, how powerful are we talking? Legendaries?"

The boy nodded, "They are called the Kami trio. Tornadus, Thundurus and Landrous. They're nature guardians. They keep the natural elements like the weather balanced. Now though, they're free to be captured and used by anybody."

"The people who attempted to capture them, what did they call themselves?"

"Team... Rocket?" Lewis quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, that's right. They, weren't from around here."

I suppressed a groan. No they _weren't_ from around here – here being a small fishing community on Milos Island, Unova. If Team Rocket were back, it meant they hadn't finished what they'd started the last time I'd faced off with them. I shivered in the cool of the afternoon. Silver clouds drowned out any sunlight, bringing with them an ocean gale that blew right through us. I tugged my cape over my shoulders in attempt to shield myself from the wind and salt spray. Winter hadn't come yet but already there were ice sheets drifting on the water. Some of them had been shattered – evidence of the battle that had taken place only days before. Exploded boulders lined the rocky island, bearing the scars of Pokémon attacks. It would've been an intense scene. Battles with Legendaries were never easily won.

Too caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice the phenomenon at first – the way the clouds began to form a dark swirl. In fact it wasn't until a brilliant light suddenly exploded from the centre of this swirl that I straightened and took notice.

"Oh my Legendaries!" a hand immediately went to the young islander's mouth. "Is it them?"

The light – a beam a first – began to expand outward, the expansion opening what looked to be a perfectly straight crack in the sky. The crack shone the brightest and with it brought an immense pressure so great that the air around us seemed to form bubbles that boiled and exploded.

"Quick! Find shelter!" I ordered the boy, grabbing him by the arms and throwing him behind the nearest boulder.

The immense pressure pushed the two halves of the crack apart, forming into what looked to be a Diglett hole in the sky. A gateway? A portal? I was amazed, standing transfixed. The shapes of two human figures formed in the entrance of the gateway – a boy and a girl. It spat them out and dropped them in the freezing ocean below before it dissolved completely. It took me a moment to register, I just stood there blinking, counting down the seconds from when the figures had hit the water.

"They're not surfacing," I whispered suddenly. I was running to the shore without a second thought. Yanking a pokéball from my belt, I pitched it into the ocean. "Gyarados! Find those people! Now!"

The giant, red serpent didn't hesitate, merely following my order and plunging into the icy water. I watched its red form from above, locating its target. It moved under an ice sheet and I lost sight of it. Moments felt like an eternity.

"Come on..." I exhaled an urgent, foggy breath, fingering Dragonite's pokéball on my belt.

CRACK! SPLOOSH!

The ice sheet exploded, Gyarados bursting upwards after it. Ice and water rained down over me, drenching me in my uniform. But that was of least importance, as carrying two figures in its jaw Gyarados carefully placed them on the rocky shore before me. Two teenagers - a boy and a girl. They were unconscious.

"Lewis! I need you!" I bellowed at the kid who still hid behind his boulder.

I didn't wait for his arrival, I started working on the first teenager, pumping at his chest and blowing air into his lungs.

Lewis got my point and offered me a look of panic that spanned from me to the girl at his feet.

"Just follow my lead!" I growled.

More precious seconds passed as we worked on them tirelessly. Then a cough. The kid started to convulse. Quickly turning him on his side, I allowed him to expel water from his lungs and he partook of his first breath of air in what seemed like an age. The girl soon followed after, harking and coughing at the ground.

The boy - a red head - watched me for a moment, eyes wide and delirious before he slipped back under. I went to pump his chest again but noted he was still breathing. The girl followed suit.

"What do we do? Whatdowedo?!" Lewis was panicking.

"Calm down!" I ordered, "We need to get them to a hospital right away!"

"Th..th...the hospital is back in Driftveil."

"Alright," I pulled two pokéballs and seconds later Dragonite and Aerodactyl stood before us. "Lewis, take the girl and ride on Dragonite. I'll take the boy on Aerodactyl. Lead the way."

* * *

We reached the hospital in record timing, pushing our way through the door right on sundown. The nurse on duty spotted us and leapt to attention.

"We need medical assistance right away," I practically bellowed across the foyer.

She was on the job, providing us stretchers to place the kids on before they were whisked away into the emergency room. Half an hour later the nurse returned with a brief report.

"They're stable. They just need rest. What I need to know however, is what happened? You do realise I have to report all incidents to the police."

"It's alright, I am the police," I semi-lied, flashing my government ID too fast for the nurse to really see it. "We found them in the water off Milos Island. I'll be compiling a full report to my superiors."

The nurse gave me a hesitant nod, more-or-less relieved that she didn't have to pull out the paperwork. It was the last thing she had time to do. "There isn't a lot we can do for them now. As I said, they just need rest."

"Can I see them?"

"Once the doctor is finished. In the meantime, perhaps you should rest and eat. The Pokémon Centre is just across the street." She signalled then bowed before retreating back into the medical rooms.

There wasn't any point in heading back to Milos so late in the day. I'd already sent Lewis home on the back of Dragonite with an offer of thanks for his help, so I was stuck here until she returned anyway. I heeded the nurse's advice and made my way into the Pokémon Centre cafeteria which was only half full. Brightly coloured, the place - like many other Pokémon Centre eateries – reminded me of a circus tent with brilliant reds, pinks and purples splashed all over the walls. Green and purple tiles lined the floor and tables with brilliantly decorated table cloths that finished the effect.

It was a small gaggle of teens that grabbed my attention, however; in particular, a boy with his Pikachu. He played with what looked to be a batch between his forefinger and thumb, the proud look in his eye denoting the fact that he'd just earned it at the local Pokémon Gym. He locked eyes with me and immediately paled.

"Hey Lance," he chirped though there was a waver to his voice.

His friends followed suite and turned to greet me. Cilan and Iris, I believe their names were.

"Hey kids," I made an attempt at sounding casual. "What's up?"

"I just earned my Quake Badge." Ash couldn't resist showing me the earthy-coloured piece.

"Congratulations, Ash. I hear old Clay is a tough one to beat."

Ash beamed, going to mention something of the battle I still owed him but I stopped him, moving along to more pressing matters.

"Ash, can I speak with you a moment?"

The kid blinked and then nodded, "Sure."

* * *

"Who are they?" asked Ash, his concern blatant on his face. Back in the hospital, we stood facing a window just outside the ward where the two teenagers slept soundly. Their clothes had since been replaced by hospital garments and hung on a drying rack by the heater.

"I'm not sure," I frowned in reply. Ash, there was an incident on Milos Island involving three legendary Pokémon. I don't suppose you-"

He nodded, "Yeah, I saw the whole thing. Tornadus, Thundurus and Landrous... and yes Team Rocket were involved." He heaved a guilty sigh though he had done no wrong.

I knew what he was referring to. For whatever reason, Ash had been given a gift from the Legendaries. They were drawn to him. The boy had seen more legendary Pokémon in his short journey than anyone had seen in their entire lifetime. Unfortunately this hadn't escaped the notice of Team Rocket either, and his gift was something they seemed determined to take advantage of.

"I don't suppose you know what Team Rocket wanted with them?" I questioned and Ash snorted.

"What they always want to do with powerful Pokémon – they want to control them."

The Guardians were free for now. Free to roam about and be captured by Team Rocket. I had a feeling this wasn't the last we'd hear of them. What was their potential? According to Lewis they were nature guardians put here in Unova to control the balance of the otherwise tempestuous seasons. With that much power in his hands, Giovanni of Team Rocket could hold Unova to ransom.

My glance fell back across to the kids who slept in their hospital beds and again Ash asked who they were. He had a look of familiarity in his eyes, though it seemed like he couldn't quite put two and two together just yet. Had he met them on his travels previously? He shook away a stray thought and half-smirked.

"Can you identify them by their trainer cards?" he asked.

"They didn't have cards... in fact they had no identity on them at all. All I can say for sure is that they're a long way from home."

"How do you know?"

"They're wearing the garb of Dragon trainer apprentices of the Dragon clan in Kanto. The weird thing is that the outfit designs are so old that they're outdated. I haven't seen this outfit since I was an apprentice."

I referred to the red and blue tunics and slacks to match. Then I had a sudden thought; no, the last time I'd seen this uniform was when I first met Kair as a young girl training under the instruction of Sa'lu. The old Shadow Dragon Master had adopted the uniforms for her own set of sinister training. But Sa'lu was long gone. Had someone else taken over the training regime? If so, then where were they? Here in Unova? I had no idea. Ghetsis of Team Plasma would be the only connection to Sa'lu. Were these students of Team Plasma? And legendaries, why did they seem so familiar?

The kids were in no condition to talk - not right now anyway. I would have to get back to them. In the meantime however, there was one place I could look for some answers.

I planted a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Thanks Ash, I'll let you get back your friends now. All the best on your journey. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten our battle."

The kid gave me a smile and a nod, "You too with your investigation, Lance."

* * *

**Scarlett**

I woke slowly, groggily, and found I was lying on a step.

"Hnnnggghh," I heaved a loud moan, feeling my muscles protest as I stiffly sat up. Concrete was not my friend.

Pikachu still slept soundly next to me and my head still felt like it was spinning. The last images of the face of a Bronzor haunting my foggy memories.

"Was that a Hypnosis attack?" I asked no one. That jerk had used a Pokémon attack on me!

Unfortunately, that was the least of my problems right then as I soon registered I was now somewhere else entirely.

"Okaaay," I said slowly and again to myself, taking in the sight of a massive building whose step I sat on. A sign hung over my head, Celectic Town Research Centre.

"Celectic Town?" I repeated. "Where is that?"

"Right here, silly."

I snapped upright at the older woman who was suddenly standing before me, her hands on her hips and a somewhat bemused smirk on her face. "You look like you've been there all night, can I help you with something?"

I had no idea where to start. "What time is it?" I asked her stupidly.

The woman glimpsed her watch. "About eight in the morning. My name is Professor Carolina, I'm just about to open up the research centre."

Random flashes of memories were beginning to gather in my head. The portal, Team Rocket, Wilblur and his Bronzor. Then waking up in the sunlight with my head resting on someone's shoulder, flying on the back of a Skarmory before... that Bronzor again. Waking up at sunset being gently place on the ground... then that stupid Bronzor again! Had he really knocked me out three times?!

"Are you alright, young lady?" My brain snapped back to the situation at hand and the woman who stared down at me. "You look like you could use some tea."

* * *

**Lance**

"Dragonite, go in for another circle, this time concentrate on the northern face, maybe we missed something."

I was just kidding myself, the castle was deserted. Only weeks before it had been crawling with Team Plasma as they used it as a base. Now, it was as though they were never there. Left as mysteriously as they'd come. But that was Unova - known as the true homeland of Dragon masters, the region was littered with old and abandoned castles. Still we circled another time, but again came up empty. It was a fruitless search and the sun was already beginning to set. Dragonite gave me a chilled grumble, time to find somewhere to lodge for the night.

"Alright, I hear ya," I muttered flatly. "Head for Lacunosa Town."

I barely finished my command when I heard the loud shout from far off, "Dragon Master!"

Her voice so familiar, my head shot around. She came up from behind on the back of her Garchomp, the sunset setting her golden hair alight. Though technically Garchomps couldn't use fly, hers was strong enough to carry her... not that it would've been difficult, she was as light as a feather.

"Cynthia?" I bellowed, genuinely shocked to see her, of all people here.

Sinnoh's Champion came up beside me and Dragonite, the two dragons exchanging the greetings of old training partners and rivals.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same about you too, Lance."

"I'm... investigating a mystery," I said slowly with a half smirk.

She smiled gently, her eyes full of the warmth I remembered from when we dated back in the day. "Always solving mysteries in your spare time, Dragon Master. You haven't changed a bit."

I snorted, knowing all too well the truth behind her statement.

"I have a villa on Undella Bay not too far from here, if you're finished _investigating_, you should come by for dinner. We have much to catch up on."

Typical Cynthia, always to the point. Fortunately, given the state of my grumbling stomach, the offer was too tempting to pass up.

"Sounds good, lead the way!"

The woman smirked, pitching her dragon forward, "Let's see if you can keep up!"

* * *

"So how is Kair anyway?"

A quiet, moonlit ocean lapped at the shore only meters from where we sat on the deck of Cynthia's private villa. It really was beautiful here – a secluded paradise – and no wonder why she chose to spend six months of the year here.

I took a sip of my wine to gather my thoughts, "She's alright, we're doing well," I said though my wavering voice seemed to give away otherwise.

Cynthia gave me a knowing nod. Kair and I were still fairly new to not only marriage but parenthood too. Hiccups were expected... at least that's what I had to keep telling myself. The truth was, I had barely seen her lest the times when we'd exchanged our daughter Scarlett between us. She'd been so distant. Something was eating at her, but I just didn't know what.

"It must be hard with the twins and all," Cynthia sympathised but I had to blink.

"Twins? We only have the one daughter," I corrected.

"Oh..." Cynthia seemed genuinely shocked. "I'm so sorry, I was sure you and Kair had twins." She shook her head, bewildered at her own mistake. The Sinnoh Champion seldom made mistakes.

"You must have gotten confused with someone else," I smirked, secretly relishing catching her off guard – it was rare.

The woman had to take a moment to gather her thoughts, just in time for another figure to step up onto the deck from the beach. Similar to Cynthia in appearance but younger and her hair a more sandy blond rather than Cynthia's vibrant yellow, it was evident that they were related.

"Cassie!" Cynthia exclaimed with a gentle smile. Getting up from the table she pulled her obviously pregnant sister into a hug.

"Hey Sis," the woman named Cassie beamed, accepting Cynthia's offer for a seat at our table for two. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything..."

"Never," Cynthia scoffed, "Cass, this is Lance, the Champion of Johto."

"I remember you," Cassie grinned, "You dated my sister, years ago."

I nodded, "I'm impressed, that was a long time ago. Am I really that unforgettable?" I gave Cynthia a cheeky leer.

Cassie threw back her head and laughed. "More likely the lack of boyfriends in Cynthia's life has made you leave a stronger impression."

Cynthia had to chortle, "I've had one or two since," she argued, though we all knew it was always her career that took precedence over any form of love life. It was how I had been for years too, before I met Kair and everything changed.

Cassie smiled and gave her large belly a rub. She toyed with a wedding ring that hung on a chain around her neck that had probably once been on her finger before the pregnancy caused them to become too puffy. I recalled Kair's frustration; even the task of getting into a pair of shoes became too difficult in the latter stages of her pregnancy.

"How long have you got to go?" I asked.

"Any day now," the woman smiled but she didn't glow like most pregnant women. No, in fact it was quite the opposite. She looked anxious, pained almost.

"I better be getting back to my walk," pulling herself to her feet, she made an attempt at hiding her discomfort and offered a quiet farewell before hobbling from the deck and back onto the beach.

My glance fell back on Cynthia who looked solemn. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's alright," Cynthia interjected with a sigh, "I don't even really know the situation myself, to be honest. The man she married turned out to be dangerous. All I know is that she ran away at the beginning of her pregnancy, for whatever reason – perhaps even for her own safety. I don't think she's even heard from him since."

My face took on a pained look, "Oh man that's doing it tough. I hope she isn't in any sort of trouble."

"Me too," Cynthia admitted. "But she's a tough girl, my baby sister. She's a researcher similar to our grandmother, Carolina. She spends her time here looking for an undersea temple that is said to reside off shore. So she keeps herself busy."

"It runs in the family I see," I said playfully and Cynthia nodded.

"It does, absolutely," getting to her feet, she signalled for her butler to take away our plates. "Lance, I have a spare room that you're welcome to use. Please make yourself at home-"

The phone blared to life in my pocket. "Hold that thought." The number on my display was the hospital. I answered it only to be greeted by a panicked duty nurse.

"Officer Lance, you need to get down here right away. There has been... a situation."

"What happened?" I demanded, immediately switching back into investigation mode.

"Those teenagers you helped the other day; they woke up." The nurse took a moment to gather her thoughts, breathing into the phone, "You're not going to believe this. They ran away... they used... powers... please, just come right now."

"I'm on my way," I hung up, offering Cynthia an apologetic look. "Thank you for the offer, but I need to get going. Duty calls."

The Sinnoh Champion offered me a knowing nod. "It was great seeing you, Lance. Take care."


End file.
